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3 Undeniable Truths for the Knicks in Aftermath of Finals Game 1

Kento Kato|
Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) come off the floor during the first quarter during game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) come off the floor during the first quarter during game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

After a thrilling start to the Finals which came down to the wire, there's a lot to talk about. The officiating, the Knicks' stout defense, the incredible performances from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart -- plus much, much more.

So with that being said, what are the biggest takeaways from Game 1?

Jalen Brunson is the best offensive player in the series, especially in the fourth quarter

Heading into the series, Victor Wembanyama was the popular pick for being the best player in the series. His Game 1 performance left a lot to be desired from Spurs fans, but his potential two-way dominance still makes makes him a reasonable choice.

Yet Jalen Brunson is the best offensive player in this series. If that wasn't clear going into the series, last night made it so.

When Wembanyama's jump shot is falling, he is be a scary cover for any team in the league. He has the ability to rise up and shoot over anybody in the league, while also always being a lob and offensive rebounding threat.

But one of the main weaknesses is that he still relies heavily on others to put him in the position to succeed. In his postgame press conference, San Antonio's Mitch Johnson alluded to needing to find ways to get Wembanyama the ball on the move. Every player obviously benefits from being put in the ideal scenario.

In the fourth quarter of a game, especially in the Finals, ideal scenarios don't just roll around. And that's where Brunson's offensive game really stands out.

After last night, Brunson has the second most 30-point playoff games by a point guard in NBA history. He also now averages 9.5 ppg on 71.7% true shooting in fourth quarters this postseason, and it's hist fourth straight playoffs being in the top five in fourth quarter scoring.

Brunson now also trails just Michael Jordan for most clutch time points per game in the playoffs since 1996-97 with 4.5 ppg.

He is one of few players in the world that possesses the ability to create something by himself. He doesn't need plays run for him. Nor does he need to be in a specific situation to get off good looks. Just give him the ball, let him work his magic, and more times than not, he'll end up with a decent look.

The same cannot be said about Wembanyama, or any of the other Spurs. In the first three and a half quarters of a game, that may not always matter. But when the contests goes down to the wire like it did last night, having a ball handler that can get his own shot at will can often be the difference.

Victor Wemabnyama is really good, but he isn't unstoppable

Wembanyama scored 26 points last night, which doesn't seem all that bad. It was a team-high, and the second highest in the game to Brunson. But very few of those points came easy.

He had one blow by dunk which came when Mitchell Robinson closed out a bit too hard, and he had a couple other looks near the rim. Though for the most part, he struggled to get in a rhythm. And he struggled to get good looks. Those 26 points came on 21 shots, with only six of them going in, and he went just 2-9 from three.

Will Wembanyama adjust? Likely. Will he shoot better from the field? Also likely. But the notion that Wembayma is this unstoppable offensive force that you can just throw the ball to akin to a prime Kevin Garnett or Kevin Durant is just inaccurate. Like mentioned above, he is still at his best when catching the ball on the move.

Towns and Robinson did an amazing job on Wembanyama. They made things very difficult for him last night with their combination of size, physicality and discipline. When defended by Towns, Wembanyama went 2-12 with four turnovers.

You could also tell that they had heavily scouted his spin move -- something he likes to go to often. On more than one occasion, they poked the ball out when he went to it.

The Spurs big man will continue to make some ridiculous shots that make you scratch your head. But the Knicks showed last night that they are more than equipped to at least slow Wembanyama down. And that's without using the heavily talked about strategy of putting OG Anunoby on him.

Intangibles matter

In an era that has been overrun by analytics, the Knicks continue to prove that there are certain traits that you just cannot quantify with numbers. Like they have so many times this postseason, they showed it again last night.

Down 14 points on the road in Game 1 of the Finals to a team many considered superior, New York looked calm, like it was in that exact position before. And that's because they have. While it wasn't in the Finals, this core has come back from deficits so many times.

As mentioned here, the Knicks are now 8-8 in the postseason when trailing by double-digits in the last two postseasons. They're also 14-17 when trailing by 10 or more in the playoffs since Brunson became a Knick, which is the most double-digit comebacks during that span. Since 2024, they are also 6-6 when trailing by 14 or more points in the second half of a playoff game. The rest of the NBA? 10-100.

Through constant adversity, this team has obtained a level of trust, confidence and mental toughness that is unmatched by any other team in the league.

Nobody embodies that more than the heart of the team, pun intended, Hart. You'd be hard pressed to find a player in any game in NBA history have a more impactful game where they score just three points. The veteran wing has long been criticized for his lack of consistent shooting, but Wednesday night, he showed why coaches and teammates have always loved him.

Despite being just 6'4", he led the game with 15 rebounds, dished out a game-high six assists, and did so much more than won't show up in the box score. Hart was often the first one getting to a loose ball, pushed the pace more than any other Knick, got deflections, and pretty much imposed his will in every aspect of the game besides scoring.

Ultimately, he just wanted it more, and proved why he's the ultimate winning player when the tough gets going.

While fans, and analysts can point to a lot of different factors deciding the game last night, anyone could make the argument that if it were to come down to one thing, it was the intangibles like hustle, physicality, and pure desire.

The Spurs, as great of a team as they are, are still mostly made up of young, inexperienced players. It makes their Finals run even more impressive, but it also could play a role going forward. Because it certainly did in Game 1.

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Kento Kato
KENTO KATO